Community & Care
Welcome to a space where education meets empathy. Our events and workshops are crafted to provide clear guidance, friendly support, and a pathway to health equity for everyone in our community. Join us to learn, share, and grow together.
Events
If your nonprofit, faithbased organization, business or club is hosting a Diabetes Awareness event, workshop, webinar, or health fair, we would love to help you spread the word through the African American Diabetes website! To feature your event on our website, please email the relevant details along with a JPG or PDF copy of your announcement to info@africanamericandiabetes.org at least 30 days prior to the event date. While we are eager to support your outreach efforts, we would, of course, appreciate a small donation $25.00, $50.00 or $100.00 to help cover our administrative costs and keep this resource running for the community.
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Glimpses of Our Impact
Reflecting on past workshops and gatherings that have strengthened our community's resolve for health equity.
Diabetes Wellness Workshops
Healthy Roots Cooking
Building on the impactful work of our 2025 African American Diabetes Association (AADA) Workshops, which reached over 100,000 residents across the DMV (DC, Maryland, Virginia) and Boston areas, we are committed to narrowing the health equity gap through community-led education. In 2025, we focused on "Progress Under Pressure," addressing the systemic barriers—such as food and pharmacy deserts—that contribute to Black adults being 60% more likely to be diagnosed with diabetes than white adults. As we move into the final quarters of 2026, our "Health is Wealth" initiative will expand with a rigorous schedule of regional intensives. These sessions will transition from general awareness to technical self-management, focusing on A1C mastery, urban nutrition strategies, and navigating local healthcare systems in Wards 5, 7, and 8 in DC, as well as high-prevalence areas like Baltimore City, Randallstown, Hartford and Prince Georges County in Maryland, expanding into the diabetes belt.
The African American Diabetes Association (AADA) has successfully hosted an extensive series of workshops and podcast episodes dedicated to the art of "heritage cooking with a heart." These sessions focus on transforming traditional cultural staples into nutritious, heart-conscious meals without sacrificing the authentic flavors that define our community’s culinary history. By integrating modern nutritional science with soulful recipes, we have empowered participants to honor their culture while prioritizing their long-term health. Building on this momentum, we are excited to significantly expand these initiatives throughout the final three quarters of 2026, reaching more kitchens and communities with the tools to live well.
AADA Hyper-Local Chapter Launch
Utilizing the TRHT Framework
In the final quarter of 2025, the African American Diabetes Association (AADA) officially launched its Hyper-Local Chapter Development Initiative, a strategic expansion designed to dismantle systemic health barriers through grassroots mobilization. This initiative explicitly adopts the historical framework of National Negro Health Week (1915–1951), established by Booker T. Washington, which utilized a "health revival" model to activate trusted community pillars like the Black Church, barbershops, and local civic groups.
By mirroring this model, the AADA's hyper-local strategy shifts away from top-down clinical bureaucracy toward neighborhood-level leadership, empowering "non-expert" community advocates to lead culturally grounded education, screenings, and advocacy. This 21st-century revival aims to reclaim local spaces as frontlines for wellness, ensuring that diabetes prevention and management are integrated into the daily social fabric of underserved African American communities.
The Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation (TRHT) framework serves as a vital blueprint for dismantling the deeply ingrained belief in a hierarchy of human value, shifting the focus from individual prejudice to the systemic roots of racial inequity. By centering on five key pillars—narrative change, racial healing and relationship building, separation, law, and economy—the TRHT framework provides a comprehensive method for communities to confront historical truths while actively building a more inclusive future. At the AADA, we have woven these principles into the fabric of our daily operations by prioritizing narrative change in our communications and fostering racial healing through intentional, brave-space dialogues among staff and stakeholders. This integration ensures that our policy advocacy and community outreach are not merely reactive, but are grounded in a transformative commitment to structural equity and the sustained well-being of those we serve.
Voices of the Community
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Living with diabetes felt like a lonely battle until I joined the AADA workshops. The support and education I found here completely changed my life outlook and health.
Shawna, Participant
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The nutrition sessions showed me how to honor my culture while keeping my health in focus. I feel empowered to cook the foods I love in a way that truly fuels me.
Linda R., Workshop Attendee
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Finding a space where people truly understand the social pressures of our community has been a saving grace. It's more than health; it's about common belonging.